diff --git a/admin/src/portr_admin/apis/security.py b/admin/src/portr_admin/apis/security.py
index c6facf86..94f252ee 100644
--- a/admin/src/portr_admin/apis/security.py
+++ b/admin/src/portr_admin/apis/security.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 from typing import Annotated
-from fastapi import Cookie, Depends, Header
+from fastapi import Depends, Header, Request
 
 from portr_admin.models.auth import Session
 from portr_admin.models.user import Role, TeamUser, User
+from portr_admin.services.user import get_or_create_user
 from portr_admin.utils.exception import PermissionDenied
 
 
@@ -11,8 +12,17 @@ class NotAuthenticated(Exception):
 
 
 async def get_current_user(
-    portr_session: Annotated[str | None, Cookie()] = None,
+    request: Request
 ) -> User:
+    # TODO: use header from config
+    # TODO: only use header from config if matching host
+    proxy_auth_email = request.headers.get("Remote-Email")
+
+    if proxy_auth_email:
+        return await get_or_create_user(proxy_auth_email)
+
+    portr_session = request.cookies.get("portr_session")
+
     if portr_session is None:
         raise NotAuthenticated
 
diff --git a/admin/src/portr_admin/main.py b/admin/src/portr_admin/main.py
index fef35dc7..aaf15cd0 100644
--- a/admin/src/portr_admin/main.py
+++ b/admin/src/portr_admin/main.py
@@ -41,11 +41,10 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
 
 @app.get("/")
 async def render_index_template(
-    request: Request,
-    portr_session: Annotated[str | None, Cookie()] = None,
+    request: Request
 ):
     try:
-        user: User = await get_current_user(portr_session)
+        user: User = await get_current_user(request)
     except NotAuthenticated:
         return templates.TemplateResponse(
             request=request,
@@ -67,11 +66,10 @@ async def render_index_template(
 @app.get("/new-team")
 @app.get("/instance-settings")
 async def render_index_template_for_setup_route(
-    request: Request,
-    portr_session: Annotated[str | None, Cookie()] = None,
+    request: Request
 ):
     try:
-        user = await get_current_user(portr_session)
+        user = await get_current_user(request)
         if not user.is_superuser:
             return RedirectResponse(url="/")
     except NotAuthenticated:
@@ -98,10 +96,9 @@ async def render_index_template_for_setup_route(
 async def render_index_template_for_team_routes(
     request: Request,
     team: str,
-    portr_session: Annotated[str | None, Cookie()] = None,
 ):
     try:
-        user: User = await get_current_user(portr_session)
+        user: User = await get_current_user(request)
     except NotAuthenticated:
         next_url = request.url.path + "?" + request.url.query
         next_url_encoded = urllib.parse.urlencode({"next": next_url})
diff --git a/admin/src/portr_admin/services/user.py b/admin/src/portr_admin/services/user.py
index c716efb0..d0bc7a95 100644
--- a/admin/src/portr_admin/services/user.py
+++ b/admin/src/portr_admin/services/user.py
@@ -14,6 +14,30 @@ class EmailFetchError(ServiceError):
     pass
 
 
+async def get_or_create_user(email: str):
+    is_first_user = not (await User.filter().exists())
+
+    if is_first_user:
+        # If this is the first user we can create them
+        await User.create(
+            email=email,
+            is_superuser=True,
+        )
+
+    user = await User.get_or_none(email=email)
+
+    if not user:
+        raise UserNotFoundError("User does not exist yet")
+
+    is_user_on_team = await TeamUser.filter(user__email=email).exists()
+
+    if not user.is_superuser and not is_user_on_team:
+        # This user MUST be part of a team to authenticate UNLESS they're a superuser
+        raise UserNotFoundError("User not part of any team")
+
+    return user
+
+
 @transactions.atomic()
 async def get_or_create_user_from_github(code: str):
     client = GithubOauth(
@@ -35,16 +59,7 @@ async def get_or_create_user_from_github(code: str):
     if not github_user["email"]:
         raise EmailFetchError("No verified email found")
 
-    is_superuser = await User.filter().count() == 0
-
-    if not is_superuser:
-        if not await TeamUser.filter(user__email=github_user["email"]).exists():
-            raise UserNotFoundError("User not part of any team")
-
-    user, _ = await User.get_or_create(
-        email=github_user["email"],
-        defaults={"is_superuser": is_superuser},
-    )
+    user = await get_or_create_user(github_user["email"])
 
     github_user_obj, created = await GithubUser.get_or_create(
         user=user,